People who travel must rely upon the security measures provided by the lodging or other facility at which they are staying while away from home. While fine hotels have traditionally provided safe storage for the valuables of patrons, access to such storage is inconvenient at best and is not universally offered, particularly by less expensive and less luxurious accommodations. Moreover, with the increasing miniaturization of electronic devices, many more such devices are routinely carried by persons on their travels. It is not uncommon for persons to take not only still cameras on their travels, but also video recorders, personal computers with associated modems and other peripherals, etc. The need for security for these articles is obvious.
While locks are universally provided by commercial accommodations, such locks are also operable by a universal master key system for access for cleaning and the like. Should such a master key fall into the wrong hands, rooms and their entire contents would be accessible to the holder of the key. In addition, personal violent crime has generally been on the increase, and violent criminal acts against patrons of commercial lodging establishments are not at all unheard of. Even when the occupant is in the room, it is relatively easy for another person who has access to enter the room and quickly abscond with any valuables which may be in the room, if the occupant is sleeping or otherwise indisposed. While positive latches operable from the inside of the room are common in such establishments, they are generally not particularly sturdy and are known quantities to persons intent upon entering a room; means have been devised to circumvent many, if not most of these auxiliary securing means, if they are installed at all in the first place. In addition to the above, many homes and other structures do not have supplementary locking means installed over and above a single lock and latch assembly, and the installation of a permanently installed supplemental lock assembly would entail a relatively large amount of work, perhaps by a professional at some expense.
The need arises for a portable, quickly and easily installable and removable auxiliary locking means which is temporarily installable from the inside of a hinged door having the standard latch pin or bolt and associated striker plate assembly. The portable auxiliary locking means must be relatively small and light weight, and adaptable to doors and door jambs having variable spacing therebetween. No special skills should be required for the installation and removal of such a portable lock, enabling virtually anyone having need of such a lock to make use of it. Finally, the auxiliary lock must be relatively inexpensive in order to encourage individuals who have need of such a device to purchase the device, and must also be relatively sturdy and durable in order to provide the security expected of such a device.